Volkswagen Touareg vs Kia EV6

What's the difference?

The Touareg is a plush, comfortable SUV which is very nice to drive and, in R-Line guise, it has a welcome bit of saucy sportiness about it.

Let’s be honest: this is not a hard-core off-roading wagon, but to expect it to be such a vehicle is to miss the point entirely. 

The Touareg is more than capable of tackling the large SUV market’s own version of dirt-driving adventures and it does it with aplomb and it does it while the driver and passengers enjoy supreme comfort.

The Kia EV6 Air offers comfort, a good range of features and beautiful handling for a ‘base model’, but it is a little pricey considering its competition.

Having said that, if you’re looking for an EV that will fit the family and has a stellar safety list – this is one to consider.

My son reckons the EV6 looks 'really cool' and he loves the space in the back seat.

This large SUV is 4878mm long (with a 2899mm wheelbase), 1984mm wide, 1686mm high and has an official kerb weight of 2169kg.

There are nice touches inside and out and surely features like chrome roof rails, highlights and exhaust tips will bring at least a slight sly smile to even the most jaded SUV admirer’s face.

This is a sleek, stylish and so very premium-looking and feeling vehicle that it makes a lowly peasant like me feel more than a little bit uncomfortable.

The EV6 is cool and fun-looking, but being the base-model does mean you get plastic rather than body-coloured mouldings around the base of the car, which highlights its grade level.

The exterior hosts 19-inch alloy wheels and a full suite of LED lights but misses out on the upgraded Matrix headlights that the higher grades get.

The exterior's swoopy curves look aerodynamic and the chunkier rear balances out the sharper nose.

The interior looks well-made, and the mix of high-end cloth and synthetic-leather materials complement the futuristic exterior aesthetic.

The dashboard is headlined by a curved panel that houses the dual 12.3-inch tech screens and the floating centre console leans into that future vibe again.

There's a nice mix of touchscreen and physical buttons to satisfy a wide audience. Overall, while it’s not as flashy as its siblings, the cabin of the Air is very pleasant to look at.

If you’re considering a Touareg as your next SUV, there’s a good chance that you’re already pretty familiar with all that’s on offer inside, but I’ll give you the drum: this interior manages to succeed at being a nice mix of luxurious and practical. 

While there are leather and soft-touch surfaces seemingly everywhere, there are also plenty of storage spaces, cup-holders, bottle-holders, USB charge points (front and second row), 12-volt power outlets (front and cargo area), temp and air-vent controls (front and second row), bag hooks (on backs of front seats and in cargo area), cargo tie down hooks/rings (cargo area) and a raft of other features that are well suited to real life.

All seats are supportive and comfortable. 

The driver and front passenger seats are power-adjustable and heated and ventilated.

The rear seats are a 40/20/40 split configuration and the row can slide and recliners two separate sections. It has a fold-down centre arm-rest with cupholders.

There is 1800 litres of cargo area volume with the second row folded; 810 litres with it in place.

The space in the EV6 rivals much larger SUVs and tall families will rejoice with how much leg- and headroom you get in both rows.

The comfort for passengers is pretty good, with comfortable seats in both rows that feel well-cushioned. The floor in the rear is flat, which accommodates any middle-seaters.

Being the base grade, you don’t get electric front seats, which is a bit rough for its price point but the driver’s side does get powered lumbar support, which I appreciate on longer journeys.

Individual storage is fantastic for the class and the front gets two cupholders, a drink bottle holder in each door and glovebox and middle console. There are multiple storage nooks and a utility tray on the topside of the floating centre console (sized for items like keys, wallet, phone etc).

The large shelf underneath the centre console easily accommodates a handbag and snacks for any kids in the back (or adults, no judgement).

Individual storage in the back is as good as the front, with plenty of spots to tuck away all of the paraphernalia that kids seem to attract. There are also two cupholders in a fold-down armrest, a drink bottle holder in each door and map pockets.

On the whole, my seven-year-old really enjoys being in the back seat because of the amenities and space he has. He finds the EV6 to be an easy car to get out of but we all struggle with the flush door handles! They can be terribly annoying to use as they don’t pop out on approach or when you unlock the doors. If you have your hands full and have little T-Rex hands like me, it can be awkward to open.

What isn't awkward to use is the technology! The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system is quick to respond and the system itself is easy to navigate once you spend some time with it.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is semi-customisable but not as pretty in its graphics as it could be. It has two styles to choose from - white or black, and the white is a little too sterile for my liking.

The multimedia system features wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and built-in satellite navigation with map updates for 10 years.

Charging options are solid with a single USB-A and and two USB-C ports up front, a wireless charging pad and a two 12-volt ports to choose from. The rear enjoy a three-pin standard house port and two USB-C ports as well.

The back seat has a 60/40 split and it's handy that you can lower them from the boot with manual levers. The boot itself is a good size with 490L when all seats are in use but you miss out on a powered tailgate in this model.

The frunk storage also offers an additional 52L, which is perfect to keep any charging cables or the tyre mobility kit stored away.

The Kia EV6 Air is the base-model in a four-variant line-up but is still priced at $72,590 before on road costs.

That positions it as the most expensive option compared to its nearest rivals. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 2WD is the closest at $71,000 but the Tesla Model Y RWD base model is $7190 more affordable.

Compared to it's siblings, the Air isn’t as well-equipped with the luxury features, but it doesn’t feel basic either because the technology is top-notch.

There is a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia screen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, plus built-in satellite navigation, as well as wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other tech features include dual-zone air-conditioning, single USB-A port, four USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad and a full suite of LED lights.

A mixture of premium cloth trims and synthetic-leather upholstery gives the cabin a premium feel, but being the base model does mean you miss out on the upgraded sound system. The base sound system with its six speakers is sufficient for every day use.

The seating features manual adjustments, but the driver's side does enjoy powered two-way lumbar support, which I appreciate on a long journey.

This diesel Touareg has a 3.0L turbocharged V6 engine – producing 210kW at 4000rpm and 600Nm at 1750 rpm – and it has an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

It has VW’s 4Motion AWD and a variety of driving modes including eco, comfort, normal sport, individual, off-road (auto and expert), and snow, which adjust vehicle characteristics, such as engine performance, throttle response, and damping and steering, to suit your selection.

The EV6 Air is a single-motor rear-wheel-drive that produces a maximum power output of 168kW and 350Nm of torque.

The Air has the slowest 0-100km/h sprint time in the EV6 range at 7.3 seconds, but that’s honestly enough for my little family. It still feels pretty damn zippy when you put your foot down.

It has an official fuel-consumption figure of 6.8L/100km on a combined cycle, but on test we recorded 11.7L/100km, measured at the pump.

It’s worth noting here that we did do some low-speed AWDing along a very washed-out track. 

This Touareg has a 90-litre fuel tank so, going by that as-tested fuel-consumption figure, you can reasonably expect a driving range of approximately 719km from a full tank, but that’s factoring in a safe-distance buffer of 50km.

It has a 24-litre Adblue tank.

Officially, you get a driving range of up to 528km (WLTP) from the 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery. However, the longest range I ever saw was 480km, which admittedly is still very good.

The EV6 Air has a Type 2 CCS port, which means you can benefit from plugging into a fast charger and the accepted voltage is a whopping 800v.

On a 50kW system, you’ll get from 10-80 per cent charge in 73 minutes and on a 350kW system, which charge time drops to just 18 minutes.

Expect it to take longer on AC charging, though. To get from 10-100 per cent on an 11kW system, it will take approximately seven hours and 20 minutes. On a standard house plug ... expect it to be on charge for around 30 hours.

The Air also has a vehicle to load (V2L) capability – meaning, it has a standard house three-pin plug port available to charge larger appliances while on the go. 

The official combined energy consumption is 16.5kW/100km (WLTP), and my usage came out at 16.02kW after a mix of open-road and urban driving this week.

Very comfortable. 

For starters, as driver you have the ability in the Touareg cabin to set up your preferred position with almost-pinpoint accuracy via the 18-way powered seat (with memory) and the tilt- and telescopic-adjustable steering wheel/column. The steering wheel is even bloody heated!

The 3.0L V6 is a punchy unit and the Touareg manages to harness its 210kW/600Nm via the eight-speed auto with mostly considered control.

This is a reasonably dynamic vehicle – for a large SUV – and it manages to maintain a commanding stance on-road and on the move, while feeling nimble enough around town and on bush tracks – more about that later – to deftly avoid any criticisms about being a clumsy drive. 

It has a turning circle of 11.19m.

Acceleration is mostly okay from a standing start and while overtaking on the open road, although persistent turbo lag in those scenarios is off-putting. 

Cycle through the driving modes (eco, comfort, normal, sport, individual, off-road (auto and expert), and snow) – via a dial near the auto shifter – to further determine your sweet spot in terms of steer-ability, throttle response, engine performance, damping and steering, among other characteristics, to match your selection.

Speaking of steering, its all-wheel steering is pretty sharp as is and, as mentioned, the auto is generally on-point, but for an even more direct driving experience switch to manual mode and have fun with the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

Adjustable air suspension with electronic adaptive damping control lends a welcome flexibility to ride and handling, which is generally well sorted. The rotary dial control to adjust the air suspension is to the left of the drive mode dial. 

If you notice an all-wheel drive system actually working then that’s probably not a good sign and if you notice the Touareg’s 4Motion kicking in then you’re more sober than I am: it’s a seamless application, capable of sending up to 70 percent of drive torque to the front axle, or up to 80 percent to the rear axle, depending on driving conditions. It is quietly effective during daily driving and seemingly masterful in traction-compromised circumstances of which we have had many due to recent heavy rainfalls; I’m talking about rain-slicked blacktop through to muddy gravel tracks – again, more about that soon. 

The Touareg’s tyres – Pirelli P Zero (285/45 R20) – are well suited to driving on sealed surfaces and well-maintained and dry gravel and dirt roads, but they’re far from ideal for anything more challenging than that.

It has a "weight and space saving inflatable spare wheel”.

The EV6 Air handles itself really well, it's been hit by torrential rain and didn’t skip a beat.

The Air really grips the road and distributes the power through the rear wheels evenly. Even at higher speeds, there’s no wobble and it feels stable when you accelerate. 

Steering is on the right side of firm and makes the Air feel very zippy when navigating tight city streets.

There are three levels of regenerative braking available, as well as a one-pedal function called iPedal, which is probably the best I’ve sampled and I like how responsive it is in stop-start traffic. However, when using this function on hills, I still hover over the brakes as it can still roll forward a bit. 

The cabin can get really loud from road noise at higher speeds, but it seems to come from underneath the carriage, rather than through the windows. The suspension is well-cushioned but not spongy.

Parking the EV6 isn’t an issue once you get used to the rotary gear selector and the reversing camera is super clear. You get a 360-degree system on higher grades but the Air does come with front and rear parking sensors.

The Kia EV6 Air is well equipped with safety features and it's here that you don't feel like you're in the 'base model'.

Standard features include the biggies like forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping aids, lane departure alert, driver attention alert, reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Considering the Air is a base model, it's also great to see items like blind-spot collision avoidance, safe exit warning, rear occupant alert and haptic-feedback on the steering wheel (as an additional 'sense' warning).

I rejoiced when I discovered that the Traffic Sign Recognition technology has been tweaked to not sound or alert on every traffic sign or speed change. It still chimes in school zones, but you no longer have to go into the menu to downgrade the sensitivity! Hurrah!

The Air has AEB with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assist, which is operational from 5.0 - 85km/h but it is usual to see that top figure be well above 100km/h, so this is surprising.

The EV6 achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 and features seven airbags, including the newer front centre airbag.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats plus three top-tethers. You might get lucky in fitting three skinny child seats but two fit the best and there’s plenty of space for front passengers when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed too.

The Touareg has a five year / unlimited kilometre warranty and that includes one year of 24-hour roadside assistance.

This variant requires a service every 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first.

Assured Service Pricing applies to the first five standard scheduled services with listed prices of $539, $886, $539, $1306, and $539.

The EV6 comes with a leading seven-year/unlimited-km warranty. The battery covered by a separate seven-year/150,000km term, but this is a smidge shorter than some of its rivals.

You can pre-purchase either a three-, five-, or seven-year servicing program, priced at $721, $1382 and $2045, respectively. All of which are reasonable for the class.

The seven-year program runs up to a max 105,000km.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.